Monday, August 28, 2023

I decided to write more about the KLR 650 Diesel for the Marine corps

 The software was messing me up when I tried to add something myself. Even the URL wouldn't load right and I had to leave it that way because there was no other choice but to delete the whole article.

But, in 2009 I had a bursa on my right heel that anytime I walked it felt like my heel was on fire. Since I didn't want to get addicted to any pain killers at the time I refused to take any pain killers for this awful experience of feeling like my heel was on fire whenever I walked.

My solution was to buy a brand new 2009 KLR 650 motorcycle so I could keep my macho at the time and not feel like my life was over. I still  have the 2009 KLR 650 but now I'm 75 and have a hernia from a burst appendix operation so I can't pick the bike up if it falls down because it's about 385 to 400 pounds all by itself. So, it's pretty embarrassing to have to ask for help if you drop your bike in the dirt somewhere because you cannot pick it up if it drops anymore.

However, the good news is within a year my bursa went numb from the nerves firing off all the time feeling like they were on fire and I still had my then new KLR 650 which is a wonderful bike. However, mine is gasoline not diesel. The marines have a diesel one so they don't have to carry other fuels other than diesel which Humvees and larger military vehicles all use. Though I"m thinking they would be harder to start (especially in cold climates) they would be able to literally go anywhere down almost any 4 wheel drive road or drive at 50 or 60 miles per hour down regular roads. So, even though the one I have you wouldn't want to do jumps on because the bike is really too big for most people to handle if they did that. Also, this bike (mine at least) is actually designed for either one rider of about 170 pounds or at most 2 riders who are both each about 170 pounds. So, if you are tall and heavier you likely will have to modify the suspension like I did so I wouldn't bottom out on a bump and hurt my spine or back in a deep bump. I think if you are taller like over 6 foot 2 you might be better off with something like a Husquvarna which is designed for big German or Scandinavian Guys who are taller and weigh more. (sort of like Mercedes and Audi's are also usually designed for taller people too.

When I bought my new then 2011 Toyota Tundra I was actually wanting to buy a Tacoma but realized I didn't fit into the cab of the Tacoma at 6 foot 5 inches so I was very disappointed. My wife was looking at a car that looked like her 1989 toyota four runner 4 wheel drive that she had when we first got together. It said it got 20 miles per gallon with a small 8 cylinder engine so we wound up buying that 4 wheel drive with a 6 speed overdrive then instead.

But, the idea of a diesel KLR 650 Kawasaki always intrigued me because originally I bought the gasoline model to try to do a "LONG WAY Round" like Ewan McGreggor did with his friend in that documentary program on BMW motorcycles but I think they were riding something a little bigger than a 650 and it was likely a 1250 BMW dualsport. This is what I think they rode. However, my KLR 650 will travel all day at around 70 mph or go through almost any terrain and just keep going through mud and snow and rivers and it has a metal plate if you are going over rocks or trees under the engine to protect it too from getting slammed underneath by larger rocks or fallen trees or other stuff you might have to ride over in the bush.

The Diesel KLR 650 will also go literally anywhere too.

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